Bass Viol tablature input does not work

• Mar 26, 2025 - 02:23

Since I have upgraded to version 4 of Musescore, the tablature input for bass viol does not work. I have been able to use the ukulele tablature without issue, though.
Please advise - I am in the middle of creating parts.
Thank you.

Comments

• Mar 26, 2025 - 02:47

I'm sure I've already read that on the forum. There is indeed a problem. I haven't checked whether this has already been reported on Github. If not, could you do it? Here: https://github.com/musescore/MuseScore/issues
In the meantime, I remembered a workaround, namely to choose in Instruments, Bass Viol in standard notation (and not directly Bass Viol Tablature), then in the Layout panel, to change the staff type (to a TAB therefore) via the cogwheel.
Take a look at this test file: the first staff doesn't work, the second does: Bass Viol.mscz

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• Mar 26, 2025 - 02:57

The problem is that, for some reason, the list of staff types is lost (?) in Bass Viol Tablature - image below.
EDIT: I seem to remember (not sure...) that it's related to a change in the name of this instrument. To be checked later...
Capture d’écran 2025-03-26 à 03.53.50.png

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• Mar 26, 2025 - 09:49

The problem seems to be that the Instrument definition for "Bass Viol (tablature)" is lacking the string data. "Bass viol" has that, so can get (successfully) converted into a tablature staff type:

            <Instrument id="viola-da-gamba">
                  <family>viols</family>
                  <trackName>Bass Viol</trackName>
                  <longName>Bass Viol</longName>
                  <shortName>B. Vl.</shortName>
                  <description>Bass viola da gamba (staff notation). Third lowest member of the viol family.</description>
                  <StringData>
                        <frets>13</frets>
                        <string>33</string>
                        <string>38</string>
                        <string>43</string>
                        <string>48</string>
                        <string>52</string>
                        <string>57</string>
                        <string>62</string>
                  </StringData>
                  <clef>F</clef>
                  <barlineSpan>1</barlineSpan>
                  <aPitchRange>33-74</aPitchRange>
                  <pPitchRange>33-79</pPitchRange>
                  <Channel name="arco">
                        <!--MIDI: Bank 0, Prog 42; MS General: Cello-->
                        <program value="42"/> <!--Cello-->
                  </Channel>
                  <Channel name="pizzicato">
                        <!--MIDI: Bank 0, Prog 45; MS General: Strings Pizzicato-->
                        <program value="45"/> <!--Pizzicato Strings-->
                  </Channel>
                  <Channel name="tremolo">
                        <!--MIDI: Bank 0, Prog 44; MS General: Strings Tremolo-->
                        <program value="44"/> <!--Tremolo Strings-->
                  </Channel>
                  <genre>earlymusic</genre>
            </Instrument>
            <Instrument id="viola-da-gamba-tablature">
                  <init>viola-da-gamba</init>
                  <family>viols</family>
                  <trackName>Bass Viol (tablature)</trackName>
                  <longName>Bass Viol</longName>
                  <shortName>B. Vl.</shortName>
                  <description>Bass viola da gamba (tablature). Third lowest member of the viol family.</description>
                  <StringData>
                        <frets>13</frets>
                  </StringData>
                  <stafftype staffTypePreset="tab6StrFrench">tablature</stafftype>
                  <genre>earlymusic</genre>
            </Instrument>

As you mas see it doesn't heve the full set of string data, just the amount of frets, no strings and their tuning.

This needs to get reported on GitHub, it should be quite an easy fix, but it does require editing https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SwqZb8lq5rfv5regPSA10drWjUAoi65… which is only possible to the core team members.

Fields to change: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SwqZb8lq5rfv5regPSA10drWjUAoi65…

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• Mar 26, 2025 - 10:29

Some 6 weeks earlier, in 20f1288a there was a change there, but that looks like an only half backed fix, only adding the number of frets, but no strings and their tunings.
No idea when those got lost
3.x handled that differently, it just 'inherited' these settong drom another instrument (Here from the Bass viol), so didn't need them to be explicitly set,
Maybe when this inheritance got abandoned that instrument lost ist settings, might have happened with 4.0.0 already

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